Roses are probably one of the most universal herbs and flowers in the world. They are revered in nearly every culture from China to Egypt. But most cultivated roses today come from one single variety: Rosa officinalis, also known as Rosa gallica or the Apothecary rose.
I first heard of the apothecary rose in an old book on Polish folk medicine. The book cited a pharmacopeia written in 1683 by Jan Woyno, a court physician from Cracow. He wrote that rosa gallica as well as another rose called rosa centifolia were grown in the gardens of Cracow for medicinal purposes. That of course led me down a rabbit hole of research and experimentation.
This is the officinalis story of the apothecary rose. A little video of the apothecary rose growing in my garden:
Cover image: French Rose (Rosa Gallica/ Rosier de France), t. 7, no. 8 of "Traité des Arbres et Arbustes"; 2nd edition of H. L. Duhamel du Monceau.., Paris, 1801–1819
